As they take to Boiler Shop’s stage, with scarves and hoods donned, English Teacher look a bit cold – but only in the literal sense; it’s a snowy night up in Newcastle. Any frost is quickly blasted away as they launch into the rousing R&B. The crowd warms up quickly, as do the band.
This is an art exhibition, as much as a gig. Four daffodils corner the stage, illuminated by strobes against a backdrop depicting a painting of Ilkley’s Cow and Calf Rocks – the painting found on the album cover of their Mercury award winning album, This Could Be Texas. It is courtesy of Gilly Fontaine-Grist – frontwoman Lily Fontaine’s mum, and hangs behind an abstract sculpture, which is also found on the album cover. It is the perfect embodiment of their aesthetic, which flows out of their music in droves.
There is no doubt that English Teacher are a phenomenally talented band, with every member bringing their own flair to the group’s unique and dynamic sound. They radiate musicality, and it translates perfectly from studio to stage. Driving rhythms from bassist Nicholas Eden and drummer Douglas Frost flow into prog-rock-esque time signature breaks, and frantic but polished guitar riffs from Lewis Whiting merge beautifully with the mesmerising vocals of frontwoman Lily Fontaine. They are backed up with a cellist, who adds a beautiful dimension to their tunes, and an acoustic guitar for a handful of tracks.
Each composition is sublime; if there’s one thing English Teacher are experts at, it’s squeezing absolutely everything out of every song they play. Whether it’s time signature changes, tempo changes, vocal wails or instrumental breaks that make you feel almost dizzy, every song is at capacity, but in a way that makes you still feel like you haven’t heard enough.
Midway through the set, the group put themselves in a position most bands have nightmares thinking about. Douglas alights from his kit and takes a seat behind a keyboard. What follows are Mastermind Specialism and You Blister My Paint, and they are, by far and away, the highlight of this performance. The absence of drums lets everyone know that this group have it all. Credit to bassist Nicholas is due here; he keeps the two tunes perfectly flowing, while enabling the words of Lily to shine. They are immense, yet perfectly balanced, and some twiddling vocal effects from Lewis adds another level to You Blister My Paint – certainly a blistering few minutes.
As the goosebumps are beginning to settle (not helped by the ending of This Could Be Texas), we hear an unreleased track, Billboards. It sounds very English Teacher – some feat for a band who only have one full length album out.
The final trio of Nearly Daffodils, big hitter The World’s Biggest Paving Slab, and album closer Albert Road, brings a perfect end to a perfectly crafted set.
English Teacher are one of those bands who feel fully evolved with a signature sound, style and look, yet still like they are only just discovering who they are, and where they are going. Their charming aura, unique artistic style, and genre defying sound makes English Teacher the complete package.
Waxing Lyrical 